Reply To: Necessary tools to do quality work
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Combination square vs. Tri-square: You can do so much more with the combination square that it is worth getting rather than a tri-square. The combination square can be used to measure depth into a mortise and confirm the bottom is uniformly deep enough, you can use it to pull a line with your pencil which is needed when your gauge doesn’t reach far enough, you can pull the rule out and use it as such, you can use the handle alone as a gauge for square (shoulders), you can use it to transfer a dimension without measuring. Most combination squares are a full foot, but most tri-squares are smaller (or are expensive and heavier/clunkier)
You don’t need a Starrett, but you do need it to be square. Look online for how to test for square. Make sure to loosen the blade, move it around, maybe even remove it and replace it, and then test for square a couple times.